What is the General Knowledge Test?

The (or GK) test consists of four subtests:

  • Essay - 50 minutes

  • English Language Skills (ELS) - 40 minutes

  • Reading - 40 minutes

  • Mathematics - 100 minutes


Taking the entire test, including time for the administration of the test, requires arrival at 8:00 A.M. and departure at about 1:15 P.M. Subtests may be registered for and taken separately, if desired. No other test may be taken that day. EXCEPTION: An examinee who registers to take ONLY the Essay subtest in the morning may combine that subtest with the Professional Education test in the afternoon.

NOTE: An examinee who took and passed all or part of the College-Level Academic Skills Test (CLAST) in Florida before July 1, 2002, may use the parts passed on the CLAST toward certification. For any parts not passed by that date, corresponding subtests of the General Knowledge test are required. Important Information About Taking an Essay Test. The General Knowledge Essay subtest and several other tests require the writing of an essay. The essay must be an original essay, composed and organized when you select the essay topic. The intent of the essay test component is to show that you can, in the time allotted, compose and write an original essay that completely addresses the topic in an effective, well-organized manner, with good grammar and spelling, as described in the rubric in the Department's Test Preparation Guide for the test requiring an essay. An examinee who memorizes an essay from another source and presents it during a test administration as an original essay is not demonstrating that he or she can compose and write an acceptable essay. Presenting such a pre-prepared essay at a test administration is considered cheating. If an essay is identified by the essay raters as being pre-prepared, the essay and all tests taken that day by the examinee will be invalidated, and no scores will be received. In addition, the incident will be reported to thr Department's Bureau of Professional Practices Services. Important Information About Taking an Essay Test If you are writing an essay, you must stop writing immediately when time is called. You are not permitted to go back later and add anything to the essay. For multiple-choice questions, you are not permitted to complete or change any answers after time has been called. Violation of these directions is considered cheating and may result in invalidation of test scores for tests taken during that test administration. In addition, the incident will be reported to the Department's Bureau of Professional Practices Services.*

*From FLDOE


RESOURCES

Alternative methods to take/pass the GK for Florida (Department of Education Website)

List of sections and time allotted on the GK

A "demo" guide on "Mastering the GKT"

Helpful test taking tips dealing with reading comprehension

A guide on GK Reading


This is a general outline of what is to be expected from the math portion of the GKT:

A General Knowledge Test Blueprint: